“Once again, Rep. Goodlatte and his colleagues have put Big Oil ahead of America’s corn farmers. The Renewable Fuel Standard is working: enabling competition from America’s renewable energy market, and breaking Big Oil’s monopoly. With the help of the RFS, we have reduced foreign oil imports by 25 percent. In 2013, 33 percent of petroleum consumed in the U.S. was imported – the lowest level since 1985. The renewable fuels industry drives an estimated $184.5 billion in economic output and supports more than 850,000 jobs.

“Farmers answered the call for energy that is clean, renewable, and American-grown. They have produced a second consecutive record crop, with more than enough corn to meet our needs for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. The price of corn today is lower than the cost of production, and less than when the RFS was passed. Repealing the RFS would increase the cost of farm programs, hurt rural communities, and make America more dependent on foreign oil. Ethanol is also better for the environment: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 110 million metric tons, the equivalent of taking 20 million vehicles off the road.

“This legislation would be a huge step backward – for America’s energy independence, for consumer choice at the pump, for the rural economy, and for the environment. We should be investing in America’s farmers, not undercutting them in favor of Big Oil.”